Dragon Kin: Marriage and Other Grown-Up Problems
by Evil Is Relative
Summary: After the events of Dragon Kin, Darva figures she has grown up a lot, and has some opinions on Adult Issues like people leaving poor Auntie Elisif alone, and all that nonsense. Short story/one shot/sequel


Darva sat on the curving steps of the Solitude Blue Palace, watching Queen Elisif trying to shoo the strange man from High Rock out the door as politely as she could. It was taking a long time, and even Darva could tell the Queen wanted the man gone, but he didn't seem to get it. He just kept bowing over her hand and kissing the back of it, starting up her wrist until she pulled it away.

Perhaps she wanted some help?

"Auntie Ellie," she said, as loudly as she could in that tone of voice Blaise used when luring someone into answering an "innocent" question, "You said you'd listen to my new song!"

Elisif startled, then smiled. "Of course, sweetheart." Turning to the rude man, she tried to excuse herself again, but he was frowning at Darva, mustache curling down in a frown. Darva wasn't sure she'd met anyone from High Rock before besides Blaise, but she hoped they didn't all dress like a half-rotting flower arrangement.

"Dear Elisif, who is this…child?" he said the word as if he had wanted to say something else.

Darva looked at him blandly, then pretended to sneeze, **_"Iiz!"_**

The floor turned to ice between her and the man, nearly catching his foot before he jumped out of the way. He yelped in surprise and stared at her a long moment. Smiling winsomely, she chirped, "Excuse me!"

The man left without any more delay.

"That was devious, Darva," Elisif told her sternly. Darva's face fell, feeling cold at the idea that she'd been Bad again, but then the Queen smiled. "Thank you."

Exhaling heavily in relief, she smiled at the pretty queen and took her hand, skipping along as Elisif returned to her throne room. Court was not officially in session at the moment, and most of the Thanes were off conducting business of their own over lunch. Darva's mother showing up to truly take her place as Thane had shaken up the power-structure of the Court, Bormah had explained. Darva was glad Bormah was smart and able to explain these things to her, because she wasn't quiet getting it. The only ones who seemed to follow it at all well were Runa, who was almost an adult herself, and–weirdly enough—Blaise.

"Auntie" Elisif was Queen, and the queen should be in charge, right? Apparently that wasn't so—the Thanes and advisers held a lot of power here as well, and General Tullius was at least as much in charge as Elisif. The Court was divided on the war, and the direction Skyrim should go in, and everyone missed the former king that Ulfric had Shouted down. Elisif hadn't been raised to rule, and had struggled her first few years. Bormah had explained it like Shouting: Darva was born Dragonborn, and picked up Shouts easily, but Alesan wasn't born with the ability, and was taking a long time and putting a lot of effort into learning.

Darva glanced up at the woman, who had welcomed her mother with such relief that Court had stopped for the day. Ysmir and Elisif had "caught up" with each other the rest of the day, which sounded nice until Darva learned the Queen had basically collapsed into tears because everyone was trying to force her into picking a spouse, desperate to have a strong leader they could point to again, and not a grieving young woman with no experience ruling, forced into the role by her husband's untimely demise.

Elisif didn't want to marry again. She had loved her husband dearly, and the thought of replacing him with a stranger made her ill. She'd begged Ysmir to move back to Solitude so she'd have someone on her side, and another young woman around to remind her Court that a delicate face and build did not mean a weak mind.

Darva didn't know anything about ruling, but she did know that Elisif needed to have some fun, so she made it a point to go to Court with her mother sometimes and sing the Queen the new songs she was learning at the Bard's College, or play the pretty harp Bormah had given her, which had apparently belonged to his mother. Since Bormah had been trapped in A-pocky-fa for so long Darva didn't know the numbers yet, she guessed the harp was really old. The bards had gone into a strange, excited sort of panic when they had seen it.

"Auntie Ellie?" she started hesitantly, climbing up onto the chair in Elisif's room where the Queen's lunch had been set out, "Do you think you'd want to marry again someday? Aren't you lonely?"

Elisif froze, then looked down, her expression quiet and sad. "Yes," she replied softly, "I am a little lonely. I miss Torygg every day, and I try to rule the way he'd want. But it's because I miss him so much that I don't think I'll marry again. Some of the people who have come to meet me have been lovely, friendly people, but…" she sat, then just gazed at the girl as if wondering how to explain. Shrugging, she finally said, "It will be a long time until I can even think of marrying again, Darva, and if that happens, I have to think of Skyrim, too. Even if I somehow fall madly in love again, I must be sure the person would help me care for my country before I'd consider giving them a crown. And I'm not giving them _my _crown," she added vehemently, "no matter how much some of my Court might wish!"

Shrugging, Darva bit into some soft bread and cheese. "Momma says she's never getting married," she told the queen matter-of-factly. "She won't tell me why yet, but she's very sure about it. I was wondering if you were sure the same way she was sure. Momma has Bormah and Papa Farkas, though, and she used to have Papa Vilkas, even though she won't marry them. If you don't want to get married, then I hope you can find someone to not-marry too, so you won't be lonely anymore."

Smile lighting her eyes, Elisif leaned over and patted Darva's hand. "You're a sweet girl, Darva. I'll never be really lonely with friends like you and your mother around."

Beaming, Darva finished her lunch and happily explained some of the romantic ballads she was learning about. She thought them all very silly, but Elisif looked as goopy as some of the older bards at the lyrics. When she was sure her throat was clear of food, Darva sang a few verses for her, but then it was time for Court to start again, and that was boring, so the girl skipped up to the large balcony-roof at the back of the Palace, where Odahviing sunned sometimes whenever Elisif was expecting a suitor to drop by. If they were too bad, she'd suggest a walk out here, and the suitor would usually run away in fright.

"Odahviing!" she sing-songed, skipping over and cuddling up right behind his head, where the scales were small and soft and warm.

_ "Drem yol lok, Kulaas,"_ he breathed, careful not to turn his head until she was clear of his spines. "Is he gone?"

"He's gone," Darva confirmed cheerfully. "I sneezed ice at his shoe and he left."

Odahviing snorted a laugh, steam coming out of his nostrils. Darva noticed a lot of dragons did that when they felt an emotion strongly, though some of them laughed or growled ice instead of fire. One older one hissed out lightning when he saw Bormah, who had crossed his arms and glared at him until Momma had told them both to knock it off.

"Are you still taking Runa to Whiterun today?" she asked curiously. She wanted to go to Whiterun, too, but Runa was training with the Companions and didn't have time to babysit her, she said. Darva thought she just didn't want anyone seeing how much time she was spending with Frothar and telling the Papas—or worse, Blaise.

"Her favorite sparring partner is leaving for the Legion soon," Odahviing explained patiently, nudging her with his nose. "He is going far South, for many summers."

"At least he's not mean anymore," Darva wrinkled her nose. The Brats of Whiterun had undergone a miraculous shift in behavior the year before after being kidnapped by a Hagraven that stole naughty children. Many were still waiting for her to come back for Nelkir.

_ "Naak rok._ I'd eat him," Odahviing said shortly, and she gaped at him.

"You can't eat Frothar!" she burst out. "He's a people!"

The dragon lifted and dipped his wings in the draconic equivalent of a careless shrug. Darva huffed at him, and he hissed laughter. "Runa is the_ kiir _of my _thur,"_ he explained remorselessly. "I cannot let one unfit to be her _ronit_ go unchallenged."

Fluffing her curls so the wind could steal some of the heat building in them, she gazed up at him curiously. "Everyone is talking about love and courting lately," she complained.

"It is almost Heart's Day," he reminded her.

Darva brightened, "My birthday!" she enthused. "Odahviing, does that mean when I get annoying people bothering me like Auntie Ellie, I have to worry about you eating them?"

He snorted again. "I've eaten people for less."

Stamping her foot, she cried, _"Odahviing!"_ and huffed when his laughter rumbled across the roof. "You're being mean."

"It is the truth, Kulaas," he told her, shifting his wings to catch the sun better. "One day you will find a _ronit,_ and they will be strong and loyal, your friend and your confidant. They will never betray your trust and seek always to protect you. Only then will those who care about you support the mating."

Thinking about this, she plopped onto the bench, watching him. "You promised to protect me," she pointed out musingly.

Odahviing's eyes popped back open from where he'd been drowsing, narrowing at her suspiciously. _"Geh,"_ he agreed, dragging out the word as if wondering where she was going with this.

"You're my friend, and I talk to you about everything," she continued, finger tapping her chin like Lydia did when she was thinking things through. "You won't betray me."

"Darva…" Odahviing lifted his head, tilting it in a way she'd never seen him do before and thus didn't know how to interpret. He reminded her of a wary goose.

"You'll be my mate," she decided.

The dragon coughed fire, something else she'd never seen before and took great interest to note.

"Well, it's perfect!" she enthused, warming to her subject. "You'd never show up with half-dead flowers and slobber all over me. You're strong and already my friend and protector. Momma likes you and Bormah puts up with you, and every other person coming to court me will run away rather than fight you!"

"That part at least has merit," he conceded, shaking his head as little bits of ash crumbled out his nostrils, "but Darva, _Zu'u dovah."_

"I'm _Dovahkiin,"_ she argued, crossing her arms belligerently.

He sighed, "I cannot…give you everything you'd want from mate."

"I don't mind that we can't get married," Darva shrugged, hopping off the bench. "You'd look silly trying to fit into a Temple anyway." Odahviing sputtered, and she grinned, watching. If the way Bormah got all flustered when Momma talked to him was any indication, she was doing things right. "We can adopt lots of orphans and go on adventures like Momma, Papa Farkas, and Bormah do!"

"Where are you going?" he wondered, watching her skip off.

"Oh! Right," she pivoted on one foot and flounced back to him, giving him a smacking kiss on the muzzle before heading right back to the doorway into the Blue Palace. "Talk to you later, dear. I have to tell Momma you're my husband now."

The red dragon stared at the door in utter bemusement for a long moment, wondering what exactly just happened. At least, until the building shook and the sky rumbled with the angry_ thu'um _of his name being hurtled into the air by his _Thur,_ raining gravel from the entire stone arch and stealing the warmth from the sun.

Proud dragon generals did not hide from their _Thur,_ Odahviing reminded himself, launching into the air reluctantly. Still, it might be a good time to see if the ice had receded from Atmora yet.


End file.
